Top 6 Fantasy/Paranormal Series

Books that circle around a fantasy or unrealistic world, full of the supernatural and paranormal can give you a break from reality. These include urban fantasy, paranormal, and everything similar.

Of course the first series on this list is the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter is admitted into Hogwarts, a school of witches and wizards, and Harry discovers the wizarding world, a place where he can belong. The seven books cover the seven years of schooling and Harry's adventures as he and his friends have to defeat Lord Voldemort. J. K. Rowling creates such a detailed and magical world that I love, along with all the characters and Harry's adventures. It's one of those series that you can reread over and over again without getting sick of them, because there's so much depth to them.

The Percy Jackson series along with the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan are about a group of demigods who go on adventures in order to save their world. Rick Riordan cleverly creates a world that merges a lot of mythology into it. After reading these series, it peaked my interest in learning more about mythological creatures and the stories behind them. Although it's aimed for younger readers, I still enjoyed them because they were full of humor and adventure. I especially liked the distinction between Roman and Greek gods in the Heroes of Olympus series.

Cassandra Clare's works which include the Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices series along with several others still in the works all take place in the Shadowhunter world. The author is able to merge reality with demons and angels in order to create a great urban fantasy world. She puts in a lot of details into how the world works and each series focuses on a different group of characters in different time periods, and they have to face different challenges in the world while still focusing on family and relationship problems that makes it feel so real.

The Night World series by L. J. Smith is a series of stories in chronological order all taking place in the Night World; a place of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and, and werewolves. There is one important rule; falling in love with a human is forbidden. I loved this series and the world that L. J. Smith created. Each shorter story is from a different perspective, but put together it has an overarching plot about a threat to the Night World which I found so interesting. Unfortunately this series is not finished as the author has gone on hiatus and it is not clear whether or not it will ever get an end.

L. J. Smith has a gift for creating really unique and interesting paranormal worlds. Another one of her works in the Forbidden Game series, which is about Jenny who receives a game from a mysterious handsome guy named Julian. As she and her friends begin to play it they suddenly fall into a world of nightmares where Julian controls everything. Playing the game is a matter of life or death. This is one of the most unique stories I've ever read and I loved how Jenny and her friends and how they did in the game. It has such a great ending because everything is resolved.

Yet another series by L. J. Smith, the Dark Visions series. It's about a girl, Kaitlyn Fairchild, who is used to being isolate from others because she's psychic. She accepts an invitation to an institute to study with other teenage psychics, and they discover that the institute isn't what it seems. I loved the characters in this story, especially the love triangle with Rob and Gabriel. I also loved the psychic link that forms between the group which made it so interesting to see them have to work together. Out of all the books about teenagers with superpowers, this series definitely is one of the best.

Top 3 Action Series

Here are my three top action (spy, crime, etc.) series.

The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz is one of my favorites. It's about a teenage boy named Alex who discovers shortly after his uncle's death that his uncle was a spy working for MI6. Due to the circumstances, Alex (who has good physical and mental ability) is forced to go undercover in order to stop various evil plans. I loved Alex's character and personality and his ability to act as a spy, and I love the different missions he goes on. Each one is different and has different antagonists. The last book, Scorpia Rising was my favorite because it was a perfect way to end the series.

One of Ally Carter's series, the Gallagher Girl series, is about Cammie Morgan - a student at an all-girl prestigious school. In truth, this school is a spy school, where they train the girls in various areas in order to be a good spy. Cammie and her friends find themselves in a compromising situation that is revealed further into the series and they have to put their skills to the test in the real world. I love the characters and the spy school and it had a lot of action. The last book pulled everything back together and neatly wrapped the whole series in a bow. I loved this series.

Another series by Ally Carter, the Heist Society series, which is about Katarina Bishop, who is part of a family of con artists. When her dad gets suspected for stealing his art collection, Kat gathers her crew of teenage friends in order to steal them back and clear her father's name. Like the Gallagher Girl series, I loved these books because it had that same intensity and action. It's actually better written story-telling than the Gallagher Girl series, and you get a sneak peek of what it's like being a con artist. The characters all have their own personalities, which makes them all the more likable.

Favorite Childhood Books

There are several authors and book series that I really enjoyed reading when I was in elementary school, and today I'm going to be listing several of them.

One of the first series that got me into reading was the Magic Tree House series. They are about siblings Jack and Annie who stumble upon a magic tree house full of books. This tree house transports them back in time; a different place and time period each book. I loved reading about Jack and Annie's adventures as they met historical figures such as Leonardo Da Vinci and the like. I've read up to #38 in the series (there are currently 52 books so far) and eventually grew out of them as I got older. They gave me kind of an overview of different historical events and places and it was a lot of fun reading them.

Andrew Clements was one of my favorite authors growing up. He's written a ton of children books, each one with different characters in different situations. I loved reading about each story and one in particular, Landry News, a story about a kid-written newspaper, inspired me to write my own "newspaper" which lasted 2-3 years until I lost interest in continuing it. Nevertheless, Not only does he write realistic-fiction, one of his books, Things Not Seen, is about a kid who wakes up one day and finds himself invisible. It had a sci-fi twist which I really enjoyed.

Roald Dahl is a British author who wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, The BFG, and many others. His books are always really funny and enjoyable because they always have some twist whether it's a s genius Matilda or a big friendly giant. His children books also have a sense of adventure with them, and still contain that childish lightheartedness and humor. Two of my favorites are Matilda and The Witches. Roald Dahl's books are definitely ones that I will always remember as books I loved during my childhood.

The Main Street series is about two sisters, Flora and Ruby, who move to Camden Falls where their grandmother lives after their parents died in an accident. Now what captivated me the most was the description of Camden Falls because I wish it was a real place that I could visit. It talks about how the sisters try to adjust to life in Camden Falls and how they make new friends. Ann M. Martin also wrote other books I've read such as The Doll People and  A Dog's Life, both of which I also loved and found so unique. The Main Street series is about the adventures the two sisters and their friends have in Camden Falls and I loved the characters and the setting.

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes is about fifth-grader Abby Hayes. The book is written from Abby's perspective (she keeps a journal of everything) and you get to see her journal entries and all the adventures she experiences with her friends. I really liked this series because of the writing style (the journal) and the narratives. Abby also has several siblings with distinct personalities that also make's the characters fun and humorous. It was one of my favorites as a kid and I loved reading about Abby and her friends and the things they did as elementary school students and even into middle school.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is the first of three books in a series by Trenton Lee Stewart. It's about a group of four gifted kids - Reynie, Constance, Kate, and Sticky - and how they try to stop an evil mastermind, Mr. Curtain. I loved the characters and their quirkiness as they tried to solve the puzzles and what not. I really loved the first book; it was full of riddles and it was cleverly written (especially the test they had to take in the beginning). But from there the series kind of degenerated. The series as a whole was decent, but the last two books were less than amazing.

Top 6 Realistic Fiction Books

While books are a way to escape from reality and to delve into another world, sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than reading a story set in the real world rather than a fictional one. Whenever I want to focus more on real characters who undergo a lot of change rather than an action-packed plot, realistic-fiction is there. And so, I bring to you today, in no particular order, my top 6 realistic-fiction books.

First up today is Fangirl, a sweet romance about a college freshman who would rather prefer to lock herself up in her room writing fan-fiction rather than attempting to interact with new people. The characters are all so funny and unique and the story-telling is one of the best. I especially love the use of fan-fiction excerpts to give you a taste of fantasy in a realistic fiction story. The romance between Cath and Levi warms you heart and watching Cath and Wren reconcile as sisters is sweet. Cath grows as a person due to the people she meets and the opportunities she takes. The story-telling and the fleshed out characters make this book stand out from the rest. I loved this book.

Something Real, is about 17-year old Bonnie™ Baker who spent the first 13 years of her life on a reality TV show, Baker's Dozen, along with her parents and her 12 siblings. Four years after its cancellation, after Chloe has finally settled into a normal life, it's back on the air. This story focuses on Chloe aka Bonnie and how she deals with her dysfunctional family and the pressure of being watched 24/7. The characters all feel so real and it's so interesting to watch Chloe, her brother Benton, and their friends as they help each other out. There's a lot of drama and it has a bittersweet ending, but you come to care for the character's and emphasize with their struggles.

Hate List is about Valerie Leftman and how she deals with her family and classmates after her boyfriend Nick opened fire in their school cafeteria, killing several people that were named on a list created by Valerie and Nick of things and people they hated. Now back in school for her senior year, she has to deal with the guilt and isolation she feels, with everyone avoiding her. It's a story Valerie's journey as she finds closure and comes to terms with herself, and learns that she's not the only one who was affected by the shooting. I really enjoyed reading about Valerie's struggles and how at the end she is able to do something for the victims and learn to move on.

Lynn Visible is a book I read a couple years ago yet even now I can remember how much I loved this book. It's about Lynn Vincent, who is passionate about fashion. She loves inventing her own style and is used to being looked down upon due to her unique outfits. When one of her creations lands into the hands of a famous designer, she has to ask herself whether what she wants and what exactly fashion means to her. To her, it's a form of self-expression and a canvas for her never-ending creativity. I loved reading about the characters and Lynn's own struggles with herself.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a story about Clay Jensen who receives a package of thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. In the tapes, Hannah explains the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. This was such a unique story and to learn about 12 people and how their bullying and actions caused Hannah so much pain was heartbreaking. It was so well-written and shows you how much of an impact your actions can have on other people, whether they were with good intentions or not. The narrative and characters were definitely the highlights of this novel.

Flash Burnout is about Blake who has a passion for photography. One day he snaps a picture of a homeless woman and discovers that it's the long-lost mother of his friend, Marissa. Blake struggles between his long-relationship with his girlfriend and his increasing involvement with Marissa. This book's story was well-written and I loved how the author was able to use photography as a way to describe the obstacles you have to overcome in life. I loved the end when Blake's project for his photography class immortalizes the events that happened up until when Melissa left. The author is able to tie the story back together really well.

Fangirl

Hey guys! It's been a while. I have to admit, I've been in a reading slump lately and just couldn't find anything I wanted to read. The only two books I read over the summer were... for school.

Pathetic, right? I think it's because I've been reading way too many dystopian YA novels and I've found myself growing tired of them. So instead, I decided to check out a realistic-fiction author I've heard good things about, Rainbow Rowell. Her more well-known book, Eleanor and Park, wasn't available at the library, so I decided to settle on one of her other books, Fangirl.

And wow I enjoyed this book so much.

A brief synopsis from Amazon:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Let's talk about the fanfiction. One unique thing about this book is that it includes several excerpts from the (fictional) Simon Snow series and Cath's own fanfiction story. To be honest, these excerpts were probably my favorite part of the entire book, because it's like a reading a spin-off from Harry Potter (which I LOVE) but it's different enough to make it its own. Fangirl is like two stories in one; Cath's college life and the fictional world she writes about.

Cath and her twin sister Wren were close growing up, especially after their mom left them when they were younger. But now that they are starting college, Wren wants some independence. The two are very different from each other; Wren is more outgoing and likes to go to parties and get drunk, and Cath is more introverted, preferring to lock herself up in her room and write fanfiction all day. Throughout their freshman year, they hardly talk to each other and when they do, it always turns into an argument. By the end of the book however, Wren reconciles with Cath and they are drawn back together through the world of Simon Snow, which I found really touching. Two twins, gone their separate ways, are brought back together because they are sisters and know each other best.

The romance in this book was so cute and sweet. Unlike a lot of YA books where a lot of the romance feels fake or forced, Cath and this guy (name undisclosed to prevent spoilers) start out as acquaintances and slowly develops into something beyond friendship. His and Cath's personalities were both really likable and I thought they were perfect for each other.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to reading more of Rainbow Rowell's books. It's a perfect blend of realistic-fiction, fantasy (Simon Snow), humor, romance, and character development. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light and cute read because I fell in love with the characters and I know you will too.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars